Anti-Defamation League Honors Local Schools For Anti-Bullying Efforts

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) –– The Anti-Defamation League is honoring schools around the region for their efforts to tackle bias and bullying.

The ceremony at the Walnut Street Theater brought together students from dozens of schools participating in the ADL’s No Place for Hate program.

Cherry Hill West High School was singled out for piloting a program to reduce bias and bullying.

“Right after the bomb threat at the Katz JCC a lot of people saw the need to really kind of put their foot down and say, ‘No. Hate has no home in Cherry Hill,'” said teacher Sherri Adamson.

Freshman Vincent Gollotto says students produced a multi-ethnic video.

“‘Hate has no home in Cherry Hill’ really went to the community and really did make a difference in our community,” said Gollotto.

The ADL’s education director for No Place for Hate, Lisa Friedlander, says schools are becoming more responsive.

“In some cases, they’ve heard more reports of bullying which is actually a good thing,” said Friedlander. “Because that means students are learning to feel safe to report it because they know that administrators are taking it seriously.”

She says the ADL has been called to help with an increasing number of hate and bias incidents, even at the middle school level.